U.S. Operators Get Hit With U.S. Overflight Bills

Several U.S.-based business aviation operators were surprised recently when they received bills from the FAA for overflight fees, incurred on trips that had to be flown through portal countries because of new security procedures. Some believe that N-registered aircraft do not have to pay overflight fees for U.S.-provided ATC services, but that is not the case. Any aircraft that does not take off or land at a U.S. airport is subject to fees of $37.43 per 100 miles of en route airspace services over the U.S. and $20.16 per 100 miles for oceanic ATC services. So an aircraft that departs the U.S. for a portal country, and then overflies U.S. airspace en route to a non-U.S. location, has to pay the fee.